DIY Grapevine Lighting Balls…What a BRIGHT idea !!

HOW TO CREATE GRAPEVINE LIGHTING BALLS

I can create them, hang them, make them look pretty with lights, but I haven’t dreamt up a REAL name for them yet.

I am stumped. I need a name that doesn’t make me *smirk*. Any ideas?

So far, it’sballs.

Uhm. Never mind.

I can travel my way across land and sea. I can perch myself in a vineyard and look calm.

{That is because I went to a wine tasting BEFORE this photo was taken}

Where’d my makeup go?

I am woman, hear me roar

…whatever….

I can’t name a grapevine ball to save my life.

Note: In that vineyard photo, I laughed so hard with my friend Catherine…that all my make-up somehow jumped off my face. Then, I sat and tried to look all serious-like. Did it work?

Tricked you, didn’t I?

Back to the balls*

*Snicker

Now that I have put your head in the gutter, get it out. And concentrate. I have a really cool DIY to show you. Don’t judge this lonely ball, all by itself. This is just to give you a drift of what is ahead.

I need to get you all revved up for this DIY. I know you would rather sit in your jammies and just sip your coffee.

I know how you roll.

Boring Ball

These little crazed balls may not look like much as you create them, but they are stunners when they are lit at night. They also look FAB in the garden. They are organic in nature, so they can definitely take some abuse. Wind, rain, snow….no problemo Missy.

Grapevine is built to weather the storm. Strong and sturdy wins the race. No, that is slow and steady wins the race. Whateve. I didn’t tell you I was smart.

WHAT YOU NEED :

Grapevine.

See? Easy. Need help finding grapevine? If you are Canadian, it is everywhere. Like. Everywhere. It is like a wild weed. If you are not Canadian, don’t fret. Grapevine is abundant.

You don’t have grapevine??

You can BUY a grapevine wreath and take it apart to make the same balls. The good news is that the grapevine wreath already has the ’round’ shape. Just unwrap the wreath and voila you have grapevine supplies to make a ball.

Here is what grapevine looks like :

Grapevine growing wild on our barn

That’s right. It’s presently taking over my barn. Grapevine rolls like that. Bad ass. It’s a WILD thaang. If you stood still long enough, it would probably grab you and grow around you like a tree. It is easily found on fence rows, growing up trees, taking over gardens at a home near you. It’s like an invasion of the body snatchers. If you plant a wee stem of it one year, you will have a grapevine house the next year.

Life with a treehouse :

I had so much of it, I made a grapevine TREE for under our treehouse. Because the tree-house didn’t have enough trees around it already. What? Don’t ask. I had an abundance of grapevine and it needed to go to a good home. Don’t judge me. I am only a designer. My skills are limited to wine drinking and grapevine wrestling. Funny how those two skills go so well together. I should just peel the grapes off of the vine, jump on them, and make wine like Lucille Ball. Yesssss.

Voila ! A grapevine tree !

If you are not near grapevine, don’t give up. Don’t fret. I can save your butt ONE MORE TIME with this alternative.

Yes, a plan B.

You can make

WIRE BALLS

This is made From Fencing Wire !!

Yup. Genius name, isn’t it? WireBalls. You can use these for lighting too. Or for decor. It’s easy to do. I pinkie swear it. They look drop dead amazing on tabletops, in the garden, or even IN the house. The list is unbelievably endless. No time for that now. More on that later *

SUPPLIES :

1. Grapevine

2. Cut wire into small pre-cut pieces.

I usually cut about 30 pre-cut pieces. This wire will be used to secure the grapevine together as you are wrapping the beach ball.

Pick a gauge like what you see in the photographs below. I didn’t pay attention to what number it was. There are no rules. We are here for good times, peeps.

3. Wire cutters

4. Beach balls ( a few varying sizes )

Buy varying sizes of balls (there I go with that ball word again). Immature. I am. Make sure you buy the kind of beach balls that you can deflate. The variety of sizes means that you will have a variety of finished sizes of grapevine balls.

Why buy a deflatable beach ball ?

a) you can play with it later

b) If you can’t deflate the ball, you will need to beat the heck out of it, to remove it from your grapevine. Trust me on this one. Buy a deflatable ball. No need to murder a beach ball. No balls need to die in this experiment.

5. Twinkle lights.

You know the kind. Little wee white lights, with a GREEN wire. One box of 50 white mini lights is a good amount to use per ball. Don’t buy the ones with the white rope/wire. Those will look stupid. Mmm. I retract that statement. If you spray paint your grapevine balls white that could be super funky. I might need to try white version 101 next. White grapevine balls with white mini lights. I LOVE WHITE I have a problem.

You will not need this chain or rope if you are placing the grapevine balls in the garden. Ambiance. Less Work. Awesome.

HOW TO CREATE GRAPEVINE LIGHTING BALLS

1. Gather up your grapevine and strip it of the grapes and leaves.

Make your grapevine buck-naked. This is not a glamorous job even though the buck-naked part might sound glamorous. Wear gloves. Do not get a manicure the day before. Been there. Done that. Got the dumb girl poster.

Grapevine looks like this :

Reality Blahhh

Pick the grapevine when it is still growing, soft, and pliable. If you pick it, and let it dry out, it will crack and be too dried out to really work with it. It can be done, but only if you want to do things the hard way. I like the easy route, myself. I’m easy. Floozy.

DETAIL SHOT OF GRAPEVINE :

Perfect for liquid fermented grapes.

Grapevine is easy to get, since most farmers and other country folk just love to get rid of it. In my neck of the woods, and for most people, grapevine does cause harm because it chokes out trees and takes over everything in sight. It tries to take over in mother nature. Don’t let it. Pull it off, wrangle it, and it is yours to turn into a light.

Where’d the door go ?!+

2. After you have stripped the grapevine, you are left with the stem { the brown woody part that you see in the picture below }.

Begin to wrap it around a beach ball. Remember, you need to deflate this beach ball when you are done. I usually deflate the ball after the grapevine ball starts to take shape. Don’t try and sneak the beach ball out after you have made a FULL GRAPEVINE BALL. You will definitely need to murder the beach ball if you wait that long. Pull out the beach ball while you still have ROOM to pull it out.

Get that? I used annoying CAPS LOCK for that beach ball bit.

Wrap the beach ball

3. Have your wire and wire cutters handy.

I prep a bunch of pre-cut wire, so I am not wrangling with the wire cutters, wire, ball, and grapevine all at once. I am not that coordinated. It’s nice to have all the bits and bobs ready as you are wrapping the ball.

Wrap, wire it in place. Wrap, wire. Rinse, repeat.

Bits & bobs of awesomeness

pre nipped wire

Uhmm…Did you notice that I can grow a mini tree out of my tabletop, but I still can’t grow grass in my yard. Seriously. What the what what ? I wonder if i could grow weeds ? Hmmmm.

NOTE :

I usually work with different sizes of balls* errrhmerrrgerd. Now I want to tell myself to shut up. If I say balls again, you have permission to punch me.

The different sizes of beach balls will give you different sizes of lighting balls <— Punch +

Get all ‘yer ducks in a row

A wee sidebar note: At this point you are probably wondering why I have a table built of stones and old boards. It too was a great DIY project. I left my Mom and her best friend alone outside my barn one day. Not alone actually. With liquid fermented grapes wine.

No joke.

Hours passed. A whole lotta laughing went on. I think one of them pee’d their pants. The other one went on a disappearing act for a while and created a grapevine angel using an old staircase post. I swear. I could not make this stuff up.

And then..

And then…

there was a TABLE.

They made a table, with rocks, stones, boulders….anything they could find…The ‘legs’ of the table were made from the rocks. The table top is made from barn boards. They, no doubt, probably ripped those boards right off my barn walls.

Hey !

I was pretty impressed with the whole DIY stone table. I seriously contemplated leaving those two ladies alone with wine – MORE OFTEN. Did I just say that in my outside voice?

Stone table base with barn board tabletop

4. As you wrap the beach ball with the grapevine, secure it with your pre cut wire to ensure a solid hold.

It will seem tricky at first, sort of like rolling a mammoth ball of knitting wool. Once the ball gets going though, it gets easier.

Ewwwh. Unattractive gloves. Sorry ’bout that.

5. After the grapevine ball starts to take shape, you can now deflate your beach ball.

Continue to work by building up more grapevine around the beach ball. Just keep adding the grapevine, in circles around the ball, like you are rolling a ball of wool. A big ball of wool. Something that the green giant would use to knit a sweater.

Close to completion !!

Don’t sweat it too much if you don’t get all the grapes and leaves off the ball. They will eventually dry up and fall off. Like a baby belly button. Except that was a gross analogy. Ditto ewwwwhhh.

6. Finished !!!

When you are finished , you need to stand back and admire it.

Admire your wild thing

It likes to be admired. It’s not at all camera shy.

At this point, I went and celebrated …

Frenchie wine is yum

And I wondered why the heck grapevine looks like this in France :

Vineyard gorgeousness

And yet grapevine looks like this in my garden :

Outta control, man

After all that celebrating, I forgot to take photos of what it looks like to string the twinkle lights on it. It is not rocket science. I know you can do it.

String lights FIRST, drink wine AFTER.

7. Wrap the mini lights around the balls. You can be quite random. No rules here.

8. You can now add a chain to hang your balls. I haven’t always thought ahead on this one. I scramble around the house and barn and look for chain. I steal it from the kids bikes or my husbands workshop. Failing that, I have used the extension cord itself to hang the balls. That is probably not technically correct (or a strong/long term /smart decision) but I am so excited to hang them, I don’t care.

9. Attach electrical tape to secure the mini light plug to the extension cord and keep it free of rain and creepy critters.

10. If you feel fanciful and grow a wild hair, use a big ol’ rope or funky twine. Interesting rope is a nice twist if you are feeling artistically twisted. Or braid it. I don’t care. Hang that ball.

WORST CASE SCENARIO :

~ Here is your PLAN B ~

You have no grapevine. You have no mini lights. You have a lot of wine. You have a bit of time. You have WIRE.

You can still make these :

How ??!!

Same deal. Start with a beach ball. Minus the grapevine. Minus the …just about everything but wire. Just wrap with wire around the beach ball, and secure with your pre-cut pieces of wire. Use a thin wire, and wrap little ‘knots’ to make it all hold together. I used old fencing wire to create this one.

I left it out in the rain to rust, because I like rust.

Rust is funky, man.

Rust is funky & so are balls

Sip your wine.

Admire your balls.

Done.

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Did I mention it was easy?

I know you like easy.

Floozy.

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Thanks so much! These were awesome instructions, and I so enjoyed the way you joke in your writing. I plan to make these for my fall wedding to hang from an oak tree in the creek of our backyard. So excited. Will try some Napa vineyards this month as they prune back the vines. Thanks again.

i am getting married on the 18 of April 2015, i am looking for these branch balls, i want to use it on my tables and don’t get it anywhere!
would it be possible if i can buy 30 balls? Please let me know! Have a lovely day

My friend and I are doing wedding decor and flowers for a friends wedding come July. We loved your “balls”! (lol) We are wondering how many feet of grapevine per sphere (12in in size or less) we’ll need? I have found a website that we can buy 100ft of it for a fairly reasonable price. We are thinking maybe 15 of them for lighting over a dance floor in a barn. Thank you for your help!
Jessica

thanks for the add……..in my 70s so don’t do much…….just easy stuff. love the balls! recently transferred to Texas Panhandle,,,,,,,lots of snow so don’t know about grapevines. currently “working” on a cloud light. saw one on internet for $3000 ! ! !……not even if I won the lottery! so far, I have less than $10.00 (ten) invested….:)

lynne, I enjoyed your comments during the toturioris why I decided to comment. I love your humor and if we lived close, I would have to hunt you up for a visit at your barn. I have a wild muskedine vine that Grows on a fence in my back yard. A few years ago, I picked enough berries for a making of jelly. The vines grow wild around here and make great decor for lots of fun things. We live in northeast Louisiana. .

I like the lit balls (sorry, i said it) and I might try to do some. We have a Shumard Oak that we decorate each year. It starts with about 12,000 clear lights on the trunk, etc. and then we add the jewelry…

I was researching custom lights when I came across yours. I want to do a custom lit tree skirt for the tree. Merry Christmas!

I love your umm… uh….um..light up circly roundish grapevine thingys.
I live in the country and at the moment cannot see out my kitchen window ’cause of the grapevine. Hubby threatnd all summer to cut it down..but I used my womanly ways and talked him out of being all Jack and the bean stalk so now let the fun begin..thanks for your pointers I hope I can find some beach balls tucked in the corner of some dollar store ..I too am Canadian…falls here and winters on its way. I should have read your blog sooner beach balls the clerks will think im nuts..no just Canadian

Thanks so much for the fun read while I was trying to learn how to make these balls. I have tons of grapevine on 60+ acres of what was once farmland and now can enjoy being creative with it. Can’t wait to try and make your tree as well.

Lynne, your post is just what I was looking for! As I kept reading, I realized you were Canadian, I thought, Go figure, so many cool bloggers are Canadian. Then I came to the Saugeen Country Yogourt container and I couldn’t believe it! I grew up in Durham, ON where we DID have gobs of wild grapevine (and recycle our yogourt containers). In fact, we used to go for a walk on Thanksgiving and make wreaths. But now I live in Montana and need some grapevine, so wish me luck, or I will just use wire:) By the way, Happy Thanksgiving!

These are amazing! Can I ask how much they cost for you to make? I need about 30 of these for my sister’s wedding. Also, where do you get grapevine if you don’t have it growing anywhere on your property?

Lynn, I fell in love with these the minute I saw them and knew I just had to have them in my life! My friends and I made 20 of them to hang from the ceiling at our upcoming outdoor rustic wedding! We used zip ties in stead of wire. Soo easy! Thank you for the idea. I am so grateful!

i would think o f these as “air” balls. i love the look of them. they are suspended in the air and dont come alive till they are lit up in color of lights that are suspended in the air. everything about them says “AIRBALLs”

Oh just one more thing I forgot. I used those thingies that are in walk way lights that are powered by the sun. I lay them in the bottom and it’s not as sparkilie but it works where there is no outlet available. Where possible I use the fairy lights .
Thanks again
Dodie

Hi lLynn,
I tried doing the Grape Vine B— earlier in the summer. Problem was, I first saw them in a nursary and as always I said “Oh I can do that.” I just didn’t bother to find out what type of vine they used.. I used honeysuckle vine and it was too tough and unbendable.
When I saw your blog I was thrilled (I thrill easily) Anyway, went out and pulled up lots of Grape Vine and got started. I am now a certified Grape Vine Ball Maker but wanted to suggest that we call them Grape Vine Luminaries. What do you think? Anyway I am now a happy follower and am in love with your site.

I just laughed out loud at the ‘I THRILL EASILY’ part of your message Dodie. hahaha. So honeysuckle is tough and unbendable? Drats. I always wondered about whether or not HoneySuckle would work. I wonder if it would work better if it was soaked in water/in the bathtub? Wait. That is already sounding like a hot mess. Never mind. LOL.

I wish I lived near Philadelphia too Nancy! It is such a beautiful city. I have a friend here who makes the Grapevine spheres but I think the trick would be to get them across the border :(, otherwise we could probably sell some to you. Drats, huh?

You are hysterical! The more I read, the more you and Michael inspire!! In fact, I’ve decided your next goal; you both need to host a chat show!!!

I am serious so albeit we don’t get much Canadian TV over here I just know it would be a natural extension to your joint abilities and you clearly have family charisma!! You and your family strike me as naturals!
Anyway, you go girl and ………….how about “twinkly balls”………haha that is sooo crass I find it funny!!

Hosting a chat show… don’t make me laugh out loud again. I would LOVE to do that from the treehouse, but the snow may give me a hard time (soon). Now… if I was living in a beach hut by the ocean.. no problem

These are very fun looking – wish I had a tree tall enough to hold it – I have a big, new house on the prairie (not unlike “The Little House on the Prairie” – but we have no large trees yet. They’re growing – I have one 3 foot tall, and a very spindly that’s about 10 feet tall. Some day . . .

But, I love your writing, it was a joy to read your blog. Thanks for sharing.

But then I couldn’t snicker at balls, Christina. Okay, okay, I might be 4 years old again. I have to stop all this BALL talk. Balls aside, they are GORGEOUS for outdoor lighting. I can’t wait for summer again and stare at the ORBS all night long.

Lynne, you are hih-lare!! Thank you for inspiring a giggle and happiness within me. I love your balls and am contemplating having a go at my own. I have grapevines, but they’re all dried out, since I just pruned them and it’s March here in Portland, OR. I definitely missed the easier route but I think I’m going to try soaking them and then winding them around the beach balls!? I actually left them out on my street with a “free” sign and after two days no one has taken them. I thought for sure some crafty little someone would have been stoked but alas, no. So, I have no choice but to try the balls, because, if anything, they’re super pretty! Looking forward to reading more of your blog! Me likey your style ladeeee! Laura

Hi there! I love your creativity. The grapevine light balls are very cool. I love how you have all this right outside your door makes for endless crafty fun. Since I don’t have these items I’ve checked Michaels craft store…nothing. do you sell these if so I want 6

I love the grapevine lighted garden balls! i was wondering if an LED battery operated light might work? I would love to do these without having to use cords or electricity. Would you be able to insert them after the ball is fiished?

I loved your instructions. very personable. wish you lived next door! thanks for the fun and educational blog. no grapevine here in orinda (the other side of the berkeley hills sf bay area) except at my grumpy neighbor’s down the street and there is NO way i am asking him. too many grumpy people over here. money seems to do that to some! anyway, i am going to use wire, which i have a ton of and hang these from trees for my daughter’s wedding. thanks so much.
hey, i have a question. you seem very competent and creative! i am trying to figure out how to hold up globe and string lights going across a 60 foot span. So far, i have seen martha stewart’s idea (though have a negative reflex to her) of gravel in a flower pot and another where the person hit pvc pipe into the ground as a base for the taller pipe but neither are thrilling me. I thought of using helium balloons (!) across the expanse to hold up the lights but my daughter thought it was “too birthday”. Might you have any thoughts on poles/posts/etc. to use to hold the lights as they cross the open expanse? I will secure poles or somesuch on the far sides on the fence – it is across that I need help.

I love how you think. So true about moola sometimes. I have often found in design budgets, that the less money I have … the more creative I am. Don’t ever tell my clients that I said that. Hahaha. Truth is… for some people… money doesn’t buy style. Sounds like you know the secret sauce tho…

Keeping it simple, classic, eclectic in a way that feels like HOME. All those favourite bits and fun finds along the way can make a house a home.

Martha Stewart : Oh my. Same reflex.

What about this idea :

Can you set up a marine style jute/sexy looking naval rope look and connect it between trees ? If there are no trees, yes.. you would need posts of some sort… but you could make some with heavy duty twigs/small tree trunks set in concrete in buckets. Farm supply stores sell sap buckets, metal buckets, tall buckets.

Buy a bag of concrete … stand your tree trunk in it, branches and all…. secure it and let it dry. You could even add mini lights to that ! Put moss in the bucket later to hide the concrete, or tint the concrete with colorant so it looks coolio.

Another thought is fencing wire. I use the fencing wire to make the metal balls. If you had the balls hanging on the same fencing wire, that could look coolio too. Buy your mini lights so they connect to each other, and the extension part of each cord could run along the wire, with the lights on each ball.

Thank you so much for your thoughtful reply. I think I figured out another way — there are fences on either side, 60 feet apart. I am going to use a 12′ metal fence rail post, attach it to the outside of the fence and then use a guide wire across the span. I will need to use a winch to tighten it but after that, I should have a wire that spans the distance from which I can hang the lights and garlands. Thank you!

Thanks Lynne! It’s hard to knock living on an island (except during hurricane season) but the grass is always greener – wishin’ now I lived on your farm! Hey, how about “glorbs” ? They’re globes, they’re orbs, they glow, they’re glorious …..no, glorbious. You are too!

Great sense of humor, love it. Ok, maybe I missed it, since I read this rather quickly while I have a Doberman and a cat in the dryer (would I lie), but I did not see how you get the beach ball out of the ball.
Thank you
Charlotte

I am going to make this just as soon as I can get my hands on some grapevines. Something is compelling me to make some things out of sticks… Right now I have a huge pile of willow twigs, and sticks in my backyard BUT they can just sit there and wait…. gotta get me some ‘vines’ !!!!!

I love this idea and i love the humor you put in the article as well.:)
I love the twinklle light idea and i think they look great in the dark, but have you ever considered maby trying to put candles in the “balls”? I dont know if they might catch on fire but ill leave you to fiigure that one out. Your the desighner. <3

Hi Lynne, I wanted to drop you a note to say I was really inspired by your ideas. Thank you for taking the time to share them. I had an idea for naming the “ballls” lol…How about “Glowing Grapevine Orbs”. I look forward to future inspiration by way of your blog. Thanks Again….Christine :0)

Well…you could call them globes….but then I never would have found your blog, because I typed “grapevine balls” into my search engine! Great info – can’t wait to get started. Too bad I waited until Sept 6…the stores have replaced all the beach balls with pumkins…sigh.

Love the idea. In getting married in may if gods will. I would like to have a few of the hanging lights ball made out of the vines but seem to be hard to find can you help if so I’m willing to pay all expensive.

Good morning,
Loved the idea. I love lights everywhere and anywhere. I made a heart shaped wreath with lights for an informal wedding a few years back.
I loved reading your comments. A breath of fresh air. Thank you.
Your yard looks so inviting enjoy!

Came across your site as I was looking for a quick/easy way to create lighted vine spheres (heehee) for my son’s upcoming wedding. Three weeks away and he decided he wants them for the gazebo at the venue. Kill me now.
Anywhoooo….love your sense of humor and informative step by step detail.
Thanks so much!
Cheers!
Michele

Hi Lynn,
I love this idea, and I, like you, have a section of my yard that is choked with grapevines. I notice that the vines in your photos are brown, which makes me think that perhaps you made these in the fall. or late summer (?) My vines all seem to be green. If I make them at this time of year (early July), do you know if the vines will turn brown? I don’t want to have to wait until fall to try these balls.
Angie
P.S. How about “Great Balls of Fire” for a name? I realize that “balls” is still in the name, but what the heck…

Hey Gal….great project. These remind me of those “balls” (pardon) that we used to make with balloons and string…. then…didn’t they use starch or something on them? If they weren’t out in the weather, I’ll bet those would work too. Just an idea….

So true about the balls with string. Awesome memory !! I forgot all about those. I bet you could make those for outdoors if you used an outdoor adhesive of some sort. This could require more coffee to really think about it

Hi Lynne, These are very inspiring and I am thinking to make them for a party we are having in a few weeks. Just not sure if I’m biting off more than I can chew! How long does it take to make one, and are they really that simple? I would probably start with a grapevine wreath, so how many wreaths to make a ball?

They really are quite easy to make. I’m not sure how many wreaths you would need. It would depend on the size of the wreath, how thick you want to make it, and the finished size of the ball.

You could start with a small one and wire it up… to see how long it takes you. The first one takes the longest … just like anything else in life. LOL.

If you don’t have any grapevine growing near you, you could try it with other kinds of vine. I haven’t tried that yet, but I bet it would work. Just grab a hold of the vine, and start wrapping it around the beach ball… and wire it as you go to keep it together. Just like rolling a ball of wool… but with wire bits to keep the ball together.

It really looks gorgeous when it’s done, so it is worth going for it !

Can’t wait to try to make the twinkle light balls for my cool tree in the baCKYARD.
I saw a huge grapevine ball at an antigue shop last summer and said Wow I love that thaannnngggg… Hope I can do these before a graduation party next saturday with no spare time, full time job, Mom in nursing home visit twice day, oh yeah, in a play Fri and Sat night. I need to make these balls!
thanks for the directions and fun blog….

Hi Julie!
Did you have a chance to make a grapevine ball? If you need a fast quick version, just buy a grapevine wreath at a craft store… take it apart… and put it back together in the shape of a ball. Wham. Bam. Thank you ma’am. LOL. I hope you have a fantabulous grad party. Cheers! Lynne xx

In the planning stages of a family wedding, a friend showed me a picture from your website re the grapevine balls….I think she did this on purpose, knowing I would say,
“I can do that.” It worked, and so did the balls and so did the fantastic rehearsal dinner setting followed by a lovely, lovely wedding. The lighted balls were a ‘hit,’ and I have you to thank for directions.

I did the first one using a basketball rim and bricks to hold pieces in place while drying to hold shape. * Beachballs worked quite well for subsequent creations.

I LOVE your balls! I just acquired my first covered porch and wicker furniture and want to add some lights. I googled grapevine lighting and found you! Thank you! Can’t wait to get started. Now for a name… boules de lumière or vigne de lumiere or maybe just beau balls.

Great names with awesome French influence ! Have you read my Paris blog posts ? I’m a pro at sounding like a total idiot in French. Now – at least I can say beautiful French words for the grapevine balls….. Thanks to you !!! I LOVE IT !!! Thanks !

Made one today inspired by your notes and photos. Yes it was very hard since its Spring and the vines are dry and some cracked. Will it be easier in summer/fall when vines are still “green” and more flexible? I did not use beach ball but put two willow wreaths together and used those as the base.. The finished product is mammoth…. 18-20 inches across, used a string of 100 mini lights, but it looks great!!!!Thanks for the directions. I will buy some beach balls and try to make more when the vines are easier to handle.

Hey Smokey
Brilliant idea ! I’d love to see a photo ! Can you send me one at lynne@lynneknowlton.com ?
Yes, you are right, the vines will be much greener and more flexible in the summer & early fall. Another option, if you are really stuck, is to soak them in water if they are really dry. That helps a bit too.

I love your ‘balls’ all on their own, but I really wanted to see how you attached the mini lights which I assume all have to be plugged in somewhere, somehow. Please give instructions with pics and details how this is accomplished out in the garden?

Hi Elisabeth,
What we did was run the extension cord down from the tree branch with the support of wire/chain/twine… ( whichever you prefer ). We hide the extension cord connection/outlet/plug in within the top of the ball. We plug the mini lights in to the extension cord (which is hidden inside the grapevine ball). It is actually quite simple, but I think I just made it sound more complicated. LOL.
Cheers !
Lynne

Thanks Lynne….but….at the risk of sounding stupid……
If you hang a dozen balls in one tree…….do you use a dozen extension cords from the ball to the branch and then to the trunk? Then do you need a few power bars stuck at the trunk to hold all those plugs with then more extension cords all the way to the outdoor outlet?
Please tell me you have an easier answer!

Hey Elisabeth,
I haven’t hung that many in a tree (yet) LOL… because that would feel BRIGHT…even in a big tree. I hang 3-6 balls and yes, that means one extension cord per ball. I use a dark brown or green extension cords. I have them all run into one power bar. Sometimes I put the power bar in the tree, sometimes at the base of the tree. The cords are dark,so I don’t even notice them. I disguise them amongst the tree branches, twigs and leaves. It looks ahhhmazing !!

If nothing else – I would read this blog for pure entertainment. It’s like I’m reading my own mind… on wine of course. Thanks for enlightening me… pun completely intended. Oh yeah and one more thing – BALLS!

Love this blog and the instructions are easy to follow/understand. Plan on making these for our upcoming wedding. Also to answer your issue with calling them balls. How about grapevine orbs or globes, just a thought.

Hi Scott !
They will look fab at your wedding ! We made extra ones for a wedding last summer and they were GORGEOUS at night. I want to attempt white ones next. Let me know if you do them natural or white. Did you notice that I am avoiding calling them anything ? LOL. Lynne xx

Dear Lynne,
I have been interested in grapevine crafts, so I googled grapevine balls. I have so enjoyed your tutorial and your wonderful sense of humor.
Thank you for your expression of creativeness and I love this font.

Greetings from Finland! I love these! I´m happy that you have option for me also. It is snowing out there, but I have my wire and cutters ready. I´m just thinking, that do I need to drink that wine during the process? That sounds like fun, but I´m home with my five kids ;D

I love your site; I just found it when I was looking for rain chains. I am age 80 and just bought a “destroyed” mobile home on a lot in Jacksonville, Fl. and am very interested in everything “green” although I know nothing.

I’m looking into having a hand pump installed by my kitchen sink, like the farm houses had when I was growing up on a farm in NC. I would purely love to have a red one. I have no idea where they are sold or how to do it.

My lot has a septic tank, (which I know nothing) and a well (ditto: nothing) and we have to put a pump on the well, whatever that does. Anyway, I’m looking for donated materials and helpers. I need a home and this seems to be what came to me for just a “few” dollars and now I am manifesting the needed materials and labor to make it habitable.

I now live in Lakeland, Fl, where I moved to from NC about two years ago to be near my Granddaughter Bonnie, and two Great-Grandchildren and when I had been here two months, her husband murdered her and the children went to live with their Grandmother, my Daughter, Bonnie’s Mother and they live in CA., so now that the trial is over, I need to move to be by some family in Jacksonville, Fl. and this property is what had shown up for me when I manifested a place to live that I could afford..

Well, you didn’t expect to hear all this, did you? What do you expect when you invite comments from “old” people? Ha Ha.

I love your sense of adventure ! I hope I am just like you with such spark when I am 80 years old.

We have a septic, well & pump so I know exactly what you are talking about. haha !

I used to live in Jacksonville FL too ! If you go to a store by the name of BALI CARGO in Neptune Beach…you will meet one of my best pals in the world…her name is KIM. She may know of places for you to go to find reclaimed things. Or stores that recycle/reclaim old found objects. Give her a call or go visit her…she is really FUN !

Sending you light…love…and blessings of spending awesome time with your family.

Loved your DIY project of the “grapevine balls”. You have a crazy, fun sense of humor. I am going to try this project. I may even have the wine–when I’m all done. I just wanted to ask you if you ever tried balloons instead of beach balls. Then just pop the balloon when done. Maybe they aren’t strong enough? Is that why you prefer using beach balls? Have more fun with future projects.

Hi Sandy !
Yes, you are right…the balloons with POP. That could make for interesting excitement tho !
The beach balls are nice and sturdy and easily deflatable. I think the balloon idea could work if you were using a softer vine…try it !!!….and let me know how it goes !
Cheers !!
Lynne

So as I sit here at 3 am eating a Terry’s chocolate orange ball, I think why not call them ‘twinkle balls’. But then I think oh em ge, that is so lame (as I shove another section into my mouth cause these things are SOOOOOO good and like I really should be eating chocolate at 3am right..yaaaaa) that calling them twinkle balls is like saying the tinker bell has balls and if you think about maybe she does with so much trouble she gets herself into. I mean really, just the other day, she was………..never mind.

Anyway, Twinkle balls is a cute name but of course that’s up to you. (shoves another slice of orange tasting chocolate into mouth) want one? SYKE…….

BTW, I did laugh at this post and almost choked on this chocolate, it’s not fun having chocolate trying to escape from a part of your body it’s not supposed to…It burns mommy, it burns!!!

Plus I woke my pup up and she stared at me like she was saying. “Do you mind, I WAS sleeping….crazy human.” then rolled over onto her back and went right back to sleep, with legs in the air like she just don’t care…..

yep it’s 3 in the morning and I think I’m punch drunk and not making sense…yay for crazy people!

oh here’s a little song I wrote, you can copy it note form note, don’t worry, be happy……
sorry, here’s the real song:

twinkle balls,
twinkle balls
lights made out of vines.
you twist and poke and shove them in
and wire them good and tight…ohhhh
twinkle balls
twinkle balls
you light them up at night
they look so good in your neighborhood
that you smile so bold and briiiiiite….ohhhhhh

Sorry but a little fermented grape juice while looking at your beautiful pieces and I was like goodness, gracious, grape balls of fire! (But then I noticed they were lighted with bulbs.) A few more glasses and I would have thought I was watching an old Planet of the Grapes episode. I wasn’t going to send this but I figure wine not right? Hopefully you understand my Reiseling.

May I ask WHERE did you find various shapes of beach balls? Thanks for all of your very “helpful” hints on making a “sphere” grapevine. I LOVE these and in the craft stores they are outrageously priced! I want to leave them in my garden all year round!

Hi Carole,
The dollar store sells tons of beach balls. You can also buy them at other larger big box stores. It could be tricky at this time of year ( I’m in Canada, and it is snow shovel time. LOL ).
They are beautiful all year round. I have them hanging in my trees right now. Late at night, with snow and glittering lights…soooooo beautiful.
Lynne x

Love your idea……They are amazing. I had bought these vineballs from Canadian Tire already done up. Howcver, I have a problem. ……..these balls had white lights on a brown cord. It has been over two years that I cannot use them anymore because I cannot find replacement bulbs. I was wondering if you know where I can find miniature lights with brown cording.

there is one way to get this. get a set of lights white cording or green cording from like wally world or a dollar store which ever you prefer. I got mine from wally world. and take all the lights out, then lay it flat and spray paint it the color you need. I added a piece of cotton to the sockets to keep them from getting sprayed. When it’s dry just add all the lights back in and no one will be the wiser. (That’s what I did for my sparkle balls and it worked out nicely, there’s nothing like having purple cording for a purple sparkle ball. :))

Hey Anna,
I like Taria’s idea for spray painting the cording. P.s. I didn’t even know that Canadian tire sold grapevine balls. Coolio. Here I was, thinking I invented them. LOL.
Replacement bulbs aren’t worth buying. Too fussy. I just buy new cords of mini lights. Green cord works great too. I bury the cord in and around the grapevine bulb and it looks fab.
Cheerio !
Lynne

Orb — a spherical body; a globe.
Lynne’s Orbital Wild Thaangs — there you have it!

Many thanks for the detailed information. I can’t wait to get started. My chicken wire sparkle lights are dying and need replacement. Chicken wire has to be purchased, destroys my hands, and wears me out! Grapevine is FREE. Woot!

I was looking for instructions on making a grapevine ball. It was not so easy to find and I found nothing on youtube. Then I fell across your instructions. As the other comments, you are highly entertaining. Your giggling over ‘balls’ made us all *smirk* … Thanks so much! I have one suggestion to add for a new name…maybe someone else already suggested this, but I didn’t read every comment…. Decorative/Lighted Grapevine Globes There is zero chance of a giggle coming out with that name…you may want to keep the old one. LOL!

OMG…you are hilarious! I can’t count the number of times I burst out laughing..while at work…secretly looking for DIY Grapevine Ball instructions. So, if I end up unemployed because my secret look ups are no longer secret, I blame you!
I’m so glad I found you and your Grapevine instructions! Now I have to go look for the “follow” or subscribe button, so I can keep stalking-er-I mean reading your posts.
Melanie

Hi again Lynne!
Just thought I’d give a quick update on the grapevine …balls…. So, I’m not working on my second …ball……my family isn’t impressed with me. I decided to sit in the livingroom watching tv while making the first one. Yeah…it didn’t go over very well. Oh, the cats loved it for sure, but my husband was a little annoyed that the wayward vines kept slapping him in the face (wasn’t my fault he sat on the couch beside me) and no one could get around or over the huge tangle of vines strewn all over the rug in front of me. While I wrestled with the beachball and vines, trying in vain to get them to cooperate, my mother sat in her recliner giving me dirty looks and shaking her head in disgust every once in a while. Maybe I was distracted from giving it my 100% undivided attention, as I tend to lose focus whenever I watch Vampire Diaries, but I digress. I had the best of intentions. So, after vaccuuming up the mess from the couch, rug and floor, I decided I would deprive my family of my company for the next …ball……
So, I’m in the garage now. It looks like a tornado went through and threw grapevine everywhere. My husband tried helping long enough to remove the beachball, causing the ‘almost’ ball to lose shape. Did a lot of wrestling with grapevine…not to mention cursing, softly and some..not so much.
I will say that the first one does look lovely sitting in my urn (waiting for twinkle lights cuz darnit I got white instead of green!), so much so that my daughter actually took a picture on her phone, as she was proud of me for my hard work.
So, thanks again for the instructions and enjoyable website. Hopefully I survive to make more …balls… and put green wired twinkle lights in them for outdoor Christmas decor, if I don’t freeze in the garage first.

Oh Melanie
You are HILARIOUS. I should have warned you that this is an outdoor sport ….well…the garage is a rather excellent idea too ! Have fun, enjoy the journey, but don’t freeze your balls off while doing it.
xx

Lynne – I don’t think I’ve ever laughed during a DIY learning experience. Thanks for the giggle (love that word) and instructions. I pulled down a bunch of grapevines this fall from trees in my back yard, and they have been laying in my veg garden waiting for me to do something with them. I’ll work on this during tomorrow’s storm in NH. Jealous of your stone/barn board table and metal chairs!! – Laura

Hi Judy
I thought about the balloon idea, but thought it would break too easily…AND….I am too tempted to fill the balloon with water and throw it at the squirrels that are running around my treehouse
The wire form sounds like a good idea. Give it a try and tell me how it goes. It may be soooo gorgeous, that you will just keep it as a wire ball.
If you have a ton of grapevine, another idea is to buy a tomato cage. Turn it upside down like an upside down cone. Wire the tips together to make a point at the top. Wrap it with grapevine and you will have a mini grapevine tree. Woooohooo. Pretty.
Lynne xx

THANK-YOU,so much for this tutorial on the grapevine balls .I just attempted and OMG,I LOVE IT.I think I need a bit more filled in,here and there,but np,I have plenty of vines,as I live in the country.Today I remembered how lucky I am to live here .I can go out my driveway and gather vines till my hearts content.Anyway,thank-you again.for posting this where even I could go by the directions you were giving!!

Hi Margo !
So happy that you had brilliant success !! Isn’t it fun?! They truly look so gorgeous at night, and they even look pretty by day!!
You lucky duck to live in the country. Grapevine is a wild thaaaang. Woohoo for us !!
Cheers!
Lynne xx

Hi, Lynne…
A sense of humor indicates intelligence of the highest order. You went there. I love your website and your ideas. As for another name for the balls, but ‘balls’ are what they are…so it could be a moot point. We could try I suppose: great gatzby globes, garden light orbs, light-ups, twinkle…..balls (gad, there we go again). You keep on with those laugh lines and I’ll be back.
Donna

Ahhh geez look out DJ,
When you say those nice things, I might smooch you. Just sayin’. If I wrote a book, what would I title it? Oh the fun we could have DREAMING up book titles. You go first. Throw the first title over the bow. We could have some fun with this one. xx

Oh my oh my….. I was just browsing on my computer looking for patio lights to string around my gazebo and came across your DIY Grapevine Lighting Balls. I don’t know which I appreciated more however, the directions for making the balls or your wonderful humorous way of instructing your readers! Was sitting here by myself laughing like crazy and now can’t wait to share your website with some of my silly friends. Thanks for the info and the giggles!

Thanks Janice!!
I had a giggle again too…I thought I better read what I wrote that seemed so funny. hahaha! So happy to hear that you love my BLOG. I hope you try some of my antics and DIY’s and get in some trouble along the way too. *snicker* Lynne xx

I actually saw the grapevine tree at a craft show one year. Christmas in the woods in Ohio. I loveed it but did not have $100 they wanted for it. I looked for grape vines all the way home to Western NY. Even along the thruway we would see those long viney things hanging from trees and I would Yell…PULLOVER! We did not of course, didn’t want to get a ticket. Anyway, thank you for the great tutorial. Maybe I will head over the boarder and stomp thru the woods and gather some vines from there.

Hey Robin
Too funny! We could road trip together NO PROBLEM…I am forever screaming in the car…pull over, pull over, look at that!, You missed it !, Oh my, that was brilliant! ,stop the car NOW or I am walking (with my shovel in hand) hahahaaaa!
Big hugs,
Lynne

recently made 15 wire balls in different sizes for my daughter’s upcoming wedding. Really liked the grapevine ones but rusty wire was readily available. They turned out great. .hint…..I used heavy fishing line to tie with….oh, and make sure you are up to date on your tetnus vaccine We affectionately just call em “rusty balls”

I so love this project and they way you tell it. I am a big wine fan too and have some vines in my garden to prove it (not as big as yours haha). ‘Spheres’ dont you like that word, you can even say it when youve had a few glasses of wine. I am going to drink a lot of wine and try this out after a rummage around my husbands workshop. Thank you for sharing something so fun you have really cheered my day..

Diana
You must send me photos of your spheres and wine :)….that sounds fun already!! Let me know if you find any good stuff in your husbands workshop. It is always intriguing to see what men have in their workshops. Best time evvvha ! Lynne xx

I have finished one of my balls! Yo! And in my hubs workshop I found strong garden wire to use as ties. Annoyingly I ran out of grape vines! So I sneaked amongst the other climbing plants in my garden with a pair of clippers and took out some honeysuckle. But Lynne I dont know how to upload a photo to your site. I so loved this process, I just wish I had more materials to make another one. Time for a glass of wine to stand back and admire my handiwork and your ideas.

Hi Diana!
I would love it if you emailed me photos of your balls. *Snicker*. I don’t think there is a way to upload pix in the comment section of blogs. Darn. My email addy is lynneknowlton@gmail.com. The honeysuckle idea sounds GORGEOUS and I bet they smelled good too! So glad you had a glass of wine and stood back to admire your balls ! Lynne xx

stumbled across your blog via the Art of Doing Stuff blog (not sure how I found that one either!) Your sparkly balls how-to was a great read, even though I’m unlikely to create anything so charming in the next 10 or 20 years (can’t imagine having the time to do something so basically ‘unnecessary’ – although I’d love to!).

Anyway, I really think that your creations could be called “glowing globes” or “glittering globes” if you are, pardon the pun, hung up on balls. : )

However, since they are made using beach balls you can’t really avoid the word!
Which came first the 3 dimensional round object identified as a “ball”, or the use of the term ball for male genitalia? Methinks the former.

The balls are lovely and the blog is great fun. Well done!
I’ll pin it so others can enjoy your writing.
Shauna P.
Burnaby, Canada
(I don’t think we have grapevines in our back yard… but I’ll look.)

Hi Shauna
I bet in Burnaby…you will find some awesome grapevine. It’s so gorgeous there, even if you don’t, you will still be in bliss :). P.s. You just had me laughing about balls all over again. Geeze….balls…snicker…balls….errrh, I mean ‘glowing globes’. P.s. I think the only time I may ever see glowing globes is if there is a ‘glow in the dark’ condom nearby. Ok, did I say that out loud?!!! hahaha!
p.s.s. I am praying that my Mother never reads my blog.
Lynne

I love this post! I am so going to do this one day! Or maybe just the stone table with the metal hip replacement bit… I love that table, and the old tractor seat stools! Hop vine would probably work too… Aren’t globe’s a type of grape? I love the name firefly globes! Tho then we would miss all the giggles over balls…
Thanks for all the laughs and I will definitely be back!

I don’t know what I like better. The “balls” or your writing. I’m going to try to make the balls. I happen to have a vine, my neighbors, growing all over my roses. Nuff said. On another note. Do you write novels? Or maybe about your life? I think you would make a wonderful writer. I loved reading what you wrote. Sorry it wasn’t longer. I love it when someones writing makes me laugh out loud. Thanks

Love love love this idea, I am going to make this once my garden is kinda ready (I just nicked an extra piece of garden from our “neighbours”, building has been empty for years now.)
This looks so cool.
Thank you for the big laugh you gave me with this story…can’t thank you enough. Tears ran down my face due laughing..

Hi Lynne,
I am a new “empty nester” living in Salt Lake City, UT. I loved your tutorial on grape vine balls. Not only is this a wonderful project that I can’t wait to try myself, you made my day with your witty instructions. You seem like an adorable person. Thank you so much for sharing your creative joys.
Fondly,
Dina

Thanks Dina !
I am a bit of grapevine NUT :), and it is a HOOT. The only difficult time I have with creating these ‘balls’ *snicker* is when I run out of wine. LOL. Thanks for checking out my balls. OMG, why do I say these things?
Lynne xx

I think these look amazing! My parents are building a new house, and they just planted a bunch of trees. so I was hoping to make something like this to hang so they have some outdoor decorations.

I had a couple of problems while making these (I’m sure I must have done something wrong). When I tried to remove the beach ball, all of my vines fell apart, so I was left with a whole bunch of individual circles and it wasn’t in the shape of a ball anymore. I was hoping I could get more instructions on how to wire it properly.

Thanks a lot! I hope I can eventually make some that look as good as your’s!

Hi Amanda
You just inspired me to to a video and show that on the blog ! LOL. Too bad I look like a ‘deer in the headlights’ when I record video. haha!
Be sure to work with Grapevine that is not too brittle. Start by wrapping your ball, as you go around once, cross over and make another circle around the ball. Where you intersected at the top, add your first wire. Don’t cut the grapevine. Use one long piece as you go. I wire it a lot at first, where the grapevine crosses itself, to form a good base. As I get going, I weave it around itself to really fill in gaps, and I make it quite full. Did that help? If you get stuck, let me know, and I will see if I can find a photo to explain it some more for you.
Cheers !!
Lynne

Love your blog! My son, Adam, got me on to it as he’s a big fan.
I made “sparkling tangled vine BALLS’ (is there another name??) for Adam & Katie’s garden wedding September 29, 2001. They (and candles) were the interior light along the ceiling and corners of the tent; even hanging around the tent poles from tulle ribbon, plus I hung them in the trees in our backyard. Quite a perfect fairyland. I now use 4 of them every Christmas, hanging them from strings of mini lights along my front porch. I really love them. Wish I could share pictures!!

I should clarify that the CANDLES were on the TABLES……not in the Twinkle-sheres, Grapes of Wrap, Shine-on a-Twine, Great big twinkling orbs=o=fun, Golden Globes, Glitter Globes, Bodacious Balls, Outstanding Orbs, vine balls!

Hi Gloria !
You just gave me a fun idea. It would be cool to make the grapevine lanterns in a rectangle shape. They could sit on the ground and be lit as well. A lantern makes me think of rectangles or squares. I wonder how to make a form for that?! You have me thinking…hmmm. Thanks for the inspiration! Lynne xx

Ok, great. Now I have to think about it, too. Can’t just throw an idea out there like a rectangular lantern and not have me putting aside all else until I come up with a way to do it. Hmmm…how about making a chicken wire frame, lightly spray painted a grapevine color (I’m sure by now some company actually has a color that says Grapevine right on the can), then cover it in grapevine, leaving the frame inside. Meh, just a thought.

I have no grapevine handy to my house, but I do have the biggest weeping willow tree and the “willow withes” make a wonderful substitute. Even preferable at times, very pliable.

Gloria
I am so excited about your idea, I almost knocked out my keyboard keys typing in excitement!! Chicken wire is a ‘top drawer, awesome’ idea !!! The chicken wire rectangle shapes could look very cool even without anything on them. You could use your willow withes at the base of the rectangle and create a wreath style of nest of willow for the lantern to sit in.( or just surround the base of it ). You could even just put a candle in there. OHhhh my. Wish I had a willow tree. You lucky dog- a willow tree. Stunners they are! Stunners !

A new reader?! Welcome aboard! Thanks for checking out my blog! Hope you enjoy the ride. LOL. xx

I’d stick with Sparkly Balls if I were you. I fancy myself quite creative but anything I came up with became sordid the second I put “balls” behind it. As a great-grandmother I think it behooves me to guard my reputation so as to not drag my family into disrepute along with me so I try to stay away from subjects like balls. There are miles of grapevine in Kansas too but I’ve never seen a grape on any of it. It’s mostly out in the country but as I walk down the alley behind my house I see loads of Virginia Creeper and Sweet Autumn that works as well as grape vine any day. I guess I’ll make Sweet Creeper Balls. I see what you mean. The second I put balls behind it the chuckles start. Hopeless!

Hi Gayla !
I think you would get along like a house on fire with my Mom (aka grandma). You are a hoot !… “sweet creeper balls”…LOL ! I do love the idea of trying Virginia Creeper or Sweet Autumn. If you go for it, send me photos! I would love love love to see your balls. {ooops}. Snicker.
Lynne xx

How about calling them “light orbs”. That term’s especially popular in ghost hunting circles! Maybe “glimmer globs” would be even better if they were created with the assistance of your ever popular wine! Or how does “angel night lights” work as they seem to be made of starshine. Please stop me…..my mind is going around in circles. So many possibilities…..really! And I’m not even half way thru my mid-day root beer! You really do need to think about changing what you drink when you want to create!!! Throw in a little ice cream with your root beer and you’ve got the world on a string. Wait…..World on a String might be a great name for them!!!!!!

What a wonderful project! My problem is taht I have no outdoor outlets. I live in an old farmhouse. Wonder if they make battery operated twinkle lights because I’ve got tons of grapevine and lots of trees to hang these from.

Yes, they do make battery operated twinkle lights, but they go thru a ton of batteries, and that can be expensive. What if you connected an outdoor green extension cord, from the inside of your house? I wonder if there is solar twinkle lights? That would be brilliant for you.
Be sure to use ‘outdoor’ twinkle lights too.
Have fun with all that awesome grapevine!
Lynne xx

Hi Lynne!
I’ve been blogging for a couple of years now and I love it! I have 2 other blogs going too so sometimes my craft blog (the wadelmat one) doesn’t receive as much attention as I would like it to :o(

Come back to visit me! I’ll certainly be checking your blog for ideas to share!!

hi
well,,,,, i am glad that you didn’t really say two broads…. (that is what i read about the two boards)…. thank you for the fun…. all the great, great fun…. still laugh at our second childhood at your place.
one of the two broads ooops boards but not so boring, boaring, whatever…
krysia
still creating stuff out of what others consider nothing….. lots of things….

When I had a wedding in my backyard we hung strands of cafe lights to provide enough out door lighting on all of my terrace’s. I’ve seen the mini version grapevine through a couple different stores last Christmas. I like your because a) they’re home made, and b) they are oversize just enough to need hanging, meaning it would have made the guys job of lighting for outdoors a lot less work.

I think you should call them over-sized cafe lights. Good luck and thanks for the inspiration.

Thanks Gail !
You are right, they do minimize the work that it takes to hang a ton of mini lights/cafe lights in individual strands.
The versatility is cool as well. After a wedding or event, you can use them in the garden, on the ground, or as decorative pieces….with or without lights.
Cheers! Lynne

Followed you over from The Art of Doing Stuff blog…..so glad!!!! YOu are hilarious AND creative! Saw that you mentioned Imen’s blog but didn’t give a link. Any chance you’d share that? Looking forward to reading all your older posts as well as future.

Hi Sandy,
If you click on the actual name “Imen McDonnell” right in the blog comment above yours, it will take you straight to her blog. Ohhh the magic of the internet links xx. She is also in my blogroll (which also directly links to her blog). Her blog name is {farmette}. It is a beautiful blog. I think you will really enjoy it ! Say hello to Imen for me.
Lynne xx

Hi Imen!!
Ohhhh how I love your blog. Thanks for coming by and visiting me. xx I think if you have thick ivy, that would work too. I would give it a try, for sure! I would still work with it when it is fresh and pliable, and wrap it to form a ball. Send me pictures….I say that, because I ADORE your photos, and instagram photos too.
Big hug,
Lynne xx

Awesome! At some point, I will have to make these.
I feel like I have to refer to them as firefly spheres. I don’t know why. It popped into my head on the first picture. [Firefly because that’s what all the little lights remind me of……..spheres because ‘firefly balls’ sounds worse than just ‘balls’.]
In any case, nice tutorial

Holy crap, you are hilarious. I don’t have grapevine, but now I want to find some. I do have wine. I need your mother and her friend, too, for now I want a table assembled from whatever is outside my house.

Danie
No worries, you have the most important ingredient. The wine
You want to assemble a table from whatever is around your house? You and my MOM could be besties.
Cheers to your happy wine sipping !
Lynne xx

I laughed my head off with the story of Krysia & me and the stone table….actually you forgot to mention that Michael asked me where we got the rocks from for building the legs.. We had to confess they were from the pile he had stacked for himself to work with (probably not as important a job as our stone leg table LOL). I’m surprised you didn’t tell the story of the time you went away for the weekend & I pulled off half the barn wood on an old shed to use to make my barn board moose, horse, goats that I created. Remember you came home & had to break the news to me that you weren’t going to rip that shed completely down because you loved the rustic look of the walls. Holy mackerel that took a lot of splainin Lucy.
So I suppose barbed wire is not suitable for your “balls”. I’m surprised no cowboys suggested this.
I have a couple of suggestions….you need to come up with some practical uses for empty wine bottles. I keep following your creative ideas, and at the end I am either really happy with the results, and celebrate by having wine, or it just doesn’t live up to my high standards….and I have wine to drown my sorrows.
Bye the way…how come I couldn’t get you to make anything when you were a kid, (except dust bunnies under your bed) and now there’s no stoppin you, were you saving all that energy up for when you grew up?
Say….I’d like to ask you to move back home……..but I like your house. Can I move back home to your place? love you…Mom :o))) (that’s my smiley face with a double chin)

These are fantastic Lynn.. going to do the wire ones for sure….no grapes vines here because my labrador eats everything in sight and grapes are poisonous for dogs…..sigh sigh. I love the ones in your trees with the lights. great post !!

What the what what ?!! Grapes are poisonous to dogs ? Can you tell that to my dog? Thanks for letting me know, I had no idea. So comforting to know, since I live on a 100 acres surrounded by grapevine, and a DOG. Never a dull moment.
Now I must keep my eyes open for grapes AND skunks AND porcupines.
I will never be bored.
Lynne xx

Lynne, I can see you had some real fun with this project! I love the narrative and I have to say it brought more than a smile to my face! Would love to have been there with you, although to an extent I feel I was! Lovely post, great idea, and definitely a project for the summer if I ever get a free moment from work! Many thanks!

Love these lights and your idea! I am responding to your tweet today asking what you might call them other than “balls”. The word “orb” popped into my head after a bit of reflection as it is a word for an “unexpected, typically circular artifact”. I am going to re-pin a few on my Pinterest under products I love! Keep up the good work!

Love your instructions, love your blog! I do outdoor pots at Christmas and we call our Balls, ORBS! I plan on using your instructions this year although it may be hard to find the grapevine here in Calgary
Thanks!!

Debbie-
Thanks so much. You made my day ! *blog blush*. Fantastic name !! ORBS…and it is a wee bit more delicate than BALLS. LOL. Love it !
I bet the Christmas orbs look like stunners. Do you light them up with mini lights too?
Lynne

You are welcome Lynn and I have something else to thank you for…I am Taylor’s Mom Thank you so much for hosting her last weekend, she said it was the best weekend of her whole year away at school. You were so kind…I hope we get to meet in the fall!
Yes we do light our orbs and nestle them into some greens with sticks and birch poles, so pretty

Hi Debbie !!!!
Taylor told me that you had a girl crush on my blog…haha..I loved those words. You made my week !!
Did you subscribe? If you SUBSCRIBE, it is easy to enter your email address in the box in the upper right of the blog. A confirmation link is sent to your email inbox. Click that. You are submitted. VOILA ! The easy thing about it, is that my updates will go directly to your email, about once a week. Easy, huh?
Lynne xx

Most importantly….
I want you to know that TAYLOR IS ONE OF THE MOST AMAZING KIDS ON EARTH.
We just loved having her,and all the Uni girls here. It was such a fab weekend ! Did you see the cupcakes she made {in the blog post} last week?
We will have her here more often next year, so she will have A HOME AWAY FROM HOME.
I will try and give her some ‘Mom hugs’ for you.
She really rocks out loud.
Much love,
Lynne xx

Hey Suzanne-
Have some fun at HOME DEPOT….look out for all the ‘bad stuff distractions’ on the way in the door…coffee, donuts, hot dogs, cookies..it is a regular food festival in there :))
Cheers!
Lynne